Running Out of Time

East side

 I started my project of building an area for our goats back in the early summer.  We didn't have wire mesh like I would have liked to have to build it with so we decided to create an electrical & barbwire fence.  Our oldest son came up for about a week to help out.  He is great help by the way.  We have always been able to work well together.  Between a book from the library, the internet and our own creativity we got most of the fence up.  Being our first time to build a barbwire fence there are a few mistakes that have to be adjusted.  Plus I would like to add another strand or two of barbwire.  Not to bad for first timers though.

East side where it attaches to the back of the barn.

The weather got to hot to stand being outdoors so the fence project was put on hold.  I was able to work on the shelter under the side of the barn since it was shaded.  That project is almost complete.  I need to add a board to the bottom of the front wall and I am thinking of adding a wind break so the north wind doesn't find it's way to swoop in.

Shelter made inside to help contain the heat during the
winter and shade for the summer.  Everything made from
recycled material around the homestead & reclaimed from
the neighbor's burn pile.

Shelter is 10' x 7'
Future plan is to build a platform inside for them also.

 On the homestead I find that project rotate on a need basis.  My goats are due to deliver the first part of December so I think I have a need to finish this project.  With a few extra demands on my time this might prove to be a bit challenging.  Not to mention today is a rainy day.  Guess I will cowgirl up and get this project finished for our girls and the new arrivals.  All five are pregnant so we can have possibly 10 kids by Christmas.

On a good note I have seeded the field as well as the backyard and a few other areas with rye, oats, and wheat.  We are hoping this supplies enough food for the winter as hay is getting hard to come by and the prices keep going up. The rye has already sprouted in the yard as well as some of the coastal.  It is good to see green again after a summer full of blowing dirt.


The plan is that this field will one day become the "Winter Field" as it is close enough to the house for feeding and watering.  We have another area we hope to make available for the goats for a "Summer Field".  But that is another project on the board that will get rotated in one day.